Wednesday, July 17, 2013

What a difference 4 days make! We made a quick trip to watch
our nephew compete in the Junior National Volleyball Championships and came
home four short days later to a bounty of boysenberries. This is our first year
of full production off our 3 thornless boysenberry plants, staked up to the
fence along our driveway (making it a bit difficult to park during the blooming
summer months!). They were just dripping with berries, yielding 8 pints upon
our return. Every two days since then I am able to pick another 3-4 pints. So I
have been getting creative with this boysenberry bonanza.

Not one to waste such deliciousness, and being short on time
initially, I processed the majority of that first batch berries using the IQF
method. IQF stand for individual quick freeze and involves placing the berries
in a single layer on a cookie sheet and freezing them until hard. This allows
you to pack them in a large Ziploc bag without them sticking to one another.

I also combined the berries with Blenheim apricots that I
picked up at LJB Farms to make an apricot-boysenberry crisp for a 4th
of July fete. Every year I get one lug of Blenheims and make the most wonderful
apricot-vanilla
jam. Blenheims ripen and have a limited window of time of about 10 days
each June/July, so I have to watch closely for their availability. (I think
someone needs to figure out a way to lengthen that season!!!)

But the real winners so far in my boysenberry fest were
served at last Sunday’s family dinner. I made homemade boysenberry ice cream
and boysenberry macarons. Not sure what got into me, as the weather was very
hot and baking wasn’t really the smartest thing to do, but I had a yen for
macarons, so there you go. I can think of worse things to do on a hot day but
the end result, and a grateful family, made it all worth it.

Friday, July 12, 2013

Godmothers are wonderful creatures. They are an endless
supply of love, wisdom, and wonderful recipes. My godmother, Joyce, has
been exceptional on all points. Last year, she guided my attempt at sweet potato
gnocchi that was a rousing success. Soft orange pillows bathed in brown
butter and sage, they have become part of my permanent repertoire. More
recently she sent me a recipe for a tapenade, that wonderfully salty olive
mixture that pairs perfectly with a fresh baguette or tossed with pasta. Of
course, I couldn’t help but tinker with the recipe, fine-tuning it to my own
tastes and pantry.

This take on tapenade features sundried tomatoes and sautéed
onion, adding some heft and flavor to the chunky mixture. The end result was
fantastic, with the family mounding spoonfuls onto thick slabs of bread, being
completely devoured in a matter of seconds. The preparation is simple, and
makes enough for a cocktail party or, in our case, two family Sunday dinners. Ingredients
are available year-round, so no need to limit it to one season. Take it on a
picnic, serve it at the holidays, and pair it with a hearty red wine. You won’t
be disappointed.

Sundried Tomato-Olive
Tapenade

1 medium red or purple onion, minced

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 8.5-ounce jar sundried tomatoes (packed in oil)*

1/2 cup large green olives (manzanilla, sevillano, or
similar)

1/2 cup cured black olives (kalamata, nicoise, etc.)

1 cup loosely packed basil leaves

Approximately 1 3/4 cups extra virgin olive oil

fresh cracked pepper

Optional: 1 teaspoon cracked red pepper flakes

Heat one tablespoon each of butter and vegetable oil in
frying pan over medium heat. Add minced onion and sauté, stirring frequently,
until just turning brown. Add balsamic, scraping up any brown bits stuck to the
pan. Remove from heat.

Drain sundried tomatoes, reserving oil. Roughly chop the
tomatoes and place in a bowl. Pit olives, if necessary, and roughly chop,
adding to the tomatoes. Mince the fresh basil leaves and add to the bowl. Stir
in the onion mixture. Add 1 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper, stirring well. (If you
like a spicier tapenade, you can add cracked red pepper flakes.)

Pour reserved oil from tomatoes into a measuring cup. Add
olive oil to make 2 cups total. Add to tomato-olive mixture and stir well. Pour
into large jar or Tupperware and allow to sit overnight.

The following day, using a food processor, stick blender, or
traditional blender, process the mixture with a few quick pulses. Do not
over-blend, as you want a somewhat chunky texture. Add additional black pepper
to taste. Serve with slices of sourdough, rustic country, or french bread for
dipping.

About Me

I live the life of a typical soccer mom in the suburbs with my husband, three children, and two cats. Working for a travel publisher for 12 years, I began visiting destinations through food, rather than by airplane. I learned about Thailand, India, Spain, and a dozen other countries through their cuisines. And that food remains a staple in my kitchen. My children grew up on curries, Provencal lamb dishes, moles, and the occasional meatloaf (on request). I am now taking the love of food farther afield and venturing into foreign lands, incorporating it into every travel destination I can get to, be it Erie, Pennsylvania or Taipei, Taiwan. Those of us in suburbia need to break out of the roast chicken, barbequed ribs, pork chop mentality and spice up our kitchens with the food of the world. We need to leave the canned veggies, packaged cookies, and oversweet jams on the shelves, and dig into the garden and flour bag and treat our families and ourselves to something better. As I continue to learn, I will share, and maybe someone will take the step towards a tagine or a brulee, and know that it doesn’t have to be complicated, and that the end result speaks for itself.